


Chasing the Scent of You

by Aki (Akiko_Natsuko)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-10-04 07:03:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17300000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Aki
Summary: Victor had surprised everyone when his eighteenth birthday had come and gone with no sign of his biology changing. They had all assumed that he was just a late bloomer, because there was no way Victor Nikiforov could be anything but an Alpha. But he wasn’t, his birthday had come along, and his scent had remained as neutral as ever, a faint trace of snow and vanilla following in his wake and when one of the younger skaters presented as an Omega a couple of weeks later he was oblivious to the fact until he heard some of the others complaining about the sickeningly sweet scent that the girl was letting off. After that no one could disagree with the fact that Victor, was undeniably a beta. Everyone was surprised, many were disappointed, but Victor was relieved.He was neutral.He was a beta.Then he met Katsuki Yuuri.





	1. Chapter 1

   Victor had surprised everyone when his eighteenth birthday had come and gone with no sign of his biology changing. They had all assumed that he was just a late bloomer because there was no way Victor Nikiforov could be anything but an Alpha. But he wasn’t. His birthday had come along, and his scent had remained as neutral as ever. A faint trace of snow and vanilla following in his wake and when one of the younger skaters presented as an Omega a couple of weeks later he was oblivious to the fact until he heard some of the others complaining about the sickeningly sweet scent that the girl was letting off. After that, no one could disagree with the fact that Victor, was undeniably a beta. Everyone was surprised, many were disappointed, but Victor was relieved.

    He’d never had any interest in those kinds of biological differences, and he didn’t want anyone to be able to say that he had climbed as high as he had because of something like biology. If you were an Alpha you were expected to do well, to stand out, and if you were Omega… well, attitudes had thankfully changed over the last couple of decades, but there was still a feeling that they could never reach the same level as their Alpha counterparts. As a beta he was safe from those expectations, free to skate, to lose himself on the ice and enchant the crowd, without any fear that people could say that it was because he was this or that.

He was neutral.

He was a beta.

   At the age of twenty-eight he was still a beta, in a sport that was still primarily dominated by Alphas, and while he felt a growing discontentment on the ice, he was still happy with his neutrality.

Then he met Katsuki Yuuri.

    Watching that video, and seeing Yuuri pour so much love into a routine that Victor had once loved had sparked something in him, something that he had been starting to fear that he would never feel again. He hadn’t even hesitated to leave Russia and Yakov behind, to potentially risk everything he had worked so hard to achieve just to chase that spark.

     He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find in Japan, or even what he was hoping to achieve by doing this, and there was a nervous pit in the bottom of his stomach when he turned up at the inn, Makkachan close on his heels. The inn had been full, and as they had guided himself, he had caught the odd trace of people’s scent, but never enough to place what they were or who they were after all a beta had no need for a strong sense of smell. However, there was another scent, one that tugged at his senses and stood out amongst the weak trails leading off into various rooms. It reminded him of ice, and the smell of roasted chestnuts in winter and he found himself trying to sniff the air, wanting more of it, and for the first time wishing that he had a stronger sense of smell.

     The scent passed from his thoughts when he ventured out into the hot springs as he waited for Yuuri to arrive, mulling over what he was going to say to the other man. When he had set foot on the plane, he hadn’t known what he wanted, but now as he soaked in the warm water, Yuuri’s performance replaying through his mind, he knew that he wanted to see more of Yuuri’s skating. He wanted to teach him, show him the ice that Victor had loved for so long, and maybe somewhere along the way, he would find what he wanted to do. What he needed to do and…

    There it was again, stronger this time, the chill of winter ice and the smell of roasted chestnuts, reminding Victor of the Christmas Markets he had loved as a child and Victor was already rising from the water, wanting to find its source when the door burst open and the object of his thoughts came bolting inside. As much as he wanted to explore that alluring scent, something that he shouldn’t even be able to smell, that wasn’t the reason the reason he was here. And reluctantly he pushed the scent from his mind, throwing his arms out dramatically and winking at the stunned Yuuri as he declared boldly.

“Yuri, starting today I’m going to be your coach.”

**

   The scent didn’t disappear. Instead, it lingered, stronger on some days than others and it was driving Victor crazy.

    It took him longer than it should have to realise that the scent came from Yuuri, that it always lingered in the air when he was around the younger man. After several days of watching Yuuri, he decided that it must be soap, because he smelled like it, and it was strong enough for his beta sense of smell to detect. It didn’t stop him longing for that scent, and on more than one occasion he gave within seconds of asking what type of soap it was so that he could buy some for himself. _He needed it, he wanted it._ It was a craving that was worming its way deeper by the day, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice the words. Instead, he stayed closer to Yuuri, clingier and touchy-feely than ever, even as he fought the urge to bury his nose into Yuuri’s shoulder and just drink in the scent.

   He didn’t know why he was so obsessed with this scent, why it had become an almost physical ache in the pit of his stomach when he couldn’t smell it. But he hid it beneath a smile, and carried on, focusing on training and skating and trying to get to know Yuuri.

    That helped keep his attention from the alluring scent, but instead, he found his focus shifting to Yuuri as they gradually grew closer. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing, because the closer they got, the shy Omega slowly letting him in, he found himself wanting more. A quivering want building up when Yuuri let his arm linger around his shoulders a little more, or when the younger man smiled at him, the anxiety fading for a moment.

He wanted, in a way that he had never wanted before.

    He hid that want, along with his longing for that scent, dealing with it alone in the privacy of the room and trying not to imagine that Yuuri was there with him. It didn’t work. He couldn’t help but wonder what Yuuri would be like as a lover, would he still be as quiet and shy as he was in everyday life, or would he be vocal? Victor never lasted long when his thoughts wandered in that direction, and he might have been embarrassed were it not that those few moments of bliss were the only tomes when he wasn’t consumed with want.

***

    Victor had known that eventually, things were going to come to a head, he wasn’t naïve enough to think that what they had now could continue indefinitely. What he hadn’t expected, was the way it came to a head.

    It began the morning Victor woke with a pounding headache, and undeniably hard, that wonderful, taunting scent flooding the building stronger than ever. So strong that he could almost taste it, and as he pushed himself to a swift and unsatisfying completion, all he could think was that there was no way it could be soap. He just wasn’t ready to consider what else it might be.

    Eventually, he cleaned himself up and went in search of Yuuri, hoping for a distraction, an escape from the pounding in his head and the want burning in the pit of his stomach, even though he knew that the scent would be stronger still. However, there was no sign of Yuuri downstairs, and he was about to go and see if he was still in bed when he found his path blocked by Yuuri’s mother, and whilst she wore the same welcoming smile as always, there was an edge to it that puzzled him, at least until she spoke.

“Yuuri won’t be able to train for the next few days, he’s in heat.”

“I…I see,” Victor couldn’t hide his dismay at the thought of not seeing Yuuri for a few days, realising that he had grown accustomed to having the other man there. However, he swallowed it back before asking anxiously. “Is he okay? Does he need anything?” He had never really paid attention to biology classes, there had never really been a need, at some point he had realised that he was going to be a beta and shut out all the unnecessary information. Now, he regretted it, itching to go and check on Yuuri, the headache intensifying, and he sniffed the air, realising that the corridor behind her was drenched in the alluring scent.

“He’ll be fine,” she was saying, trying to reassure him, but then she noticed his distraction and the way his eyes were wandering in the direction of Yuuri’s room and the way his nose twitched as though he was scenting the air. “Viichan?”

“I…”  Victor shook his head, trying to free himself from the spell of the scent, but he found himself inching closer. He wanted to get closer, he wanted Yuuri…he wanted…a low whine slipped free, and he shook his head, voice cracking with a desperation that he didn’t understand as he whispered. “I can smell it…”

“Smell…” Her eyes widened, comprehension dawning as she watched his hands clenching at his sides, a slightly wild glint in his eyes. “Victor,” she kept her voice deliberately soft and soothing this time, stepping closer and reaching out to take his wrist, making him look at her. “Can you smell Yuuri?”

“I…don’t know…” Victor admitted. Was it Yuuri he was smelling? Or soap? Or was it just a figment of his imagination? He didn’t know anymore, and the uncertainty was overwhelming him, his gaze darting back towards Yuuri’s room, the want crashing over him once more before he forced himself to focus on her once more. “I shouldn’t be able to, but ever since I arrived I can smell ice and…”

“Roasted chestnuts?”

      He nodded, unable to find the words this time and she sighed, torn about what to do. However, she was fully aware of Yuuri’s crush on Victor that had gradually begun to blossom into something more now that they were spending time together, knowing that time was the reason why her son’s scent had been growing stronger, permeating the entire inn for the last few weeks. There was also no way she could ignore the lost look in Victor’s eyes, and making up her mind she released his arm in favour of reaching up to cup his cheeks, feeling the almost feverish heat under his skin and she smiled. “You’re presenting Victor,” she said gently, knowing that it would do little to reduce the shock and sure enough he jerked at her words, eyes going wide with alarm.

“What?!” Victor pulled back, shaking his head, his stomach plummeting at her words. He couldn’t be presenting, he had always been a beta, he was happy being a beta… _but what about Yuuri, what about that scent?_ A small, treacherous part of him whispered, and his voice trembled as he shook his head again, not sure whether he was denying her words or his own thoughts. “But…I’m twenty-eight. I’m a beta…” Being a beta was safe, familiar, the only thing that had stopped him from losing his mind of the scent that had been calling to him for weeks.

A scent that he should never have been able to smell.

“Who can smell an omega in heat? Who has been smelling him for weeks,” Yuuri’s mother echoed his thoughts, and he flinched, and she smiled, calm and soothing, an oasis in the uncertainty he was currently swimming in. “It’s not unheard of for people to present very late, usually when they’ve found their mate…”

“Mate?” Victor swallowed as he realised what she was implying, unable to stop his eyes drifting towards Yuuri’s room again, highly aware of who he was talking to. “Yuuri…but…” The protest died before it had even begun because he couldn’t lie, couldn’t ignore the want that had been consuming him for weeks, the desire for both the scent and Yuuri and he felt his cheeks beginning to burn as he looked down, not sure what to make of her soft chuckle.

“Victor…” She murmured. “Viichan,” she tried when he didn’t move, and there was no way he could ignore the nickname or the fondness in it, slowly lifting his gaze to meet hers, half expecting to find anger or something worse, but she was still smiling as she slowly released his face and took a step to the side. “Go and talk to him.”

“But…”

“He’s not that far gone yet,” she reassured him, answering the fear he hadn’t had a chance to voice. “And you both need to talk about this, to decide what you both want to do.” When he didn’t make any effort to move despite the longing written across his face, she moved around him and gave him a gentle nudge forward. “Go, you have my blessing.” She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about saying that, but she couldn’t regret the words when his eyes lit up, some of the uncertainty fading and she didn’t protest when he whirled around, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered, and this time she could hear the timbre of an alpha in his voice even if he hadn’t noticed it himself. When he pulled back, his expression was one of determination, although the uncertainty remained, lingering in his eyes as he turned away and squared his shoulders, moving towards Yuuri’s room without a backwards glance. She didn’t watch him go in, turning away to go and warn the rest of their family to give the pair of them space, already having a feeling that she knew how this situation was going to be resolved.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

    When he had been younger, Victor hadn’t been able to imagine anything more terrifying than the moment he had debuted on the ice. Now as he stood in front of Yuuri’s bedroom door, his nose full of the scent of ice and toasted chestnuts, he realised just how wrong he had been, nervousness curling in the pit of his stomach.

He didn’t know how to do this.

    He had accepted that he was a beta, and let everything else wash over him. After all, what was the point of fretting about something that didn’t affect him? He’d seen friends endure this, heard them talking about heats and ruts, noticed their absences from the rink every few months, but it had been distant, vague. Not like this, and he worried at his bottom lip, hands twisting in front of him. Yuuri’s mother’s blessing still rang in his ears, but he knew that it was what Yuuri wanted that mattered and standing there staring at the door, he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be easier for everyone if he just turned around and walked away. After all, what omega would want an alpha that didn’t have a clue what he was doing? Who hadn’t even known he was an alpha until minutes ago?

    Just the thought of walking away made his stomach clench unpleasantly, a soft noise, a little too close to a growl for comfort bubbling up at the thought that if he stepped back now, it would leave Yuuri open to any other alpha that caught Yuuri’s attention. Victor knew that he was selfish, that he took a little too much pleasure in the fact that Yuuri had looked up to him for so long, and still gazed at him with awe on occasion. Even though he had blossomed and learnt to handle Victor’s excesses, and to stand up to him when necessary…but he had never felt this almost desperate possessiveness that was flooding him at letting the thought of someone else stealing Yuuri away from him.

_Mine._

     The thought startled him, and he backed up a step, alarmed by this side of him that he was only just learning about and he was about to bolt. Sternly telling himself that Yuuri wasn’t his…not yet… but he had barely managed to take half a step, turning away, when there was a fumbling on the other side of the door before it inched open. At once all thought of bolting fled as he was hit with a fresh wave of Yuuri’s scent, stronger and sweeter than ever before, a trace of cinnamon underlying the nutty scent and he felt his mouth watering, even as he lifted his head to find Yuuri peering up at him.

“Victor…” It was a whine and a plea wrapped into one and Victor froze, unsure of how to react, not sure of what was expected of him in this situation, but overwhelmed with a need to do something. To help. Because Yuuri was a mess, eyes bloodshot and heavy-lidded, exhaustion written into the pale features and he was jittery, shifting from foot to foot, his gaze darting to Victor and then away again every few seconds. However, it was the way his eyes would tighten, a grimace escaping a second later that eventually had Victor moving, unaware of the soft, crooning noise building in the back of his throat, just knowing that he needed to do something.

“Yuuri,” he murmured, forcing himself to slow his movements, giving Yuuri a choice to push him away or shut the door if he wanted. Even he could remember that much from classes in school, but it was more than that… this wasn’t just about biology. He had wanted Yuuri before he had learnt that they were compatible in this way as well, and he wanted Yuuri to welcome him because he was Victor, not because his body had finally decided what it wanted to be.

    Yuuri’s eyes had widened at the movement, hope and trepidation warring for control, but he didn’t push Victor away or retreat. Instead, he opened the door wider, leaving enough room for Victor to step inside. Victor didn’t waste the opportunity inside, nudging the door shut behind him before reaching out and pulling Yuuri against him, the smaller man following the tug willingly and practically melting against his chest with a soft sigh. “You smell good,” Yuuri mumbled, nuzzling at Victor, and those simple words had Victor wanting to preen.

“So, do you,” he whispered instead, and it was true. This close his entire world had narrowed down to the scent that had been calling to him for weeks now, and he felt something he hadn’t even been aware of easing in his chest as he rested his head on Yuuri’s, grumbling when Yuuri pulled back a moment later to peer up at him with dancing eyes.    

“You’ve finally worked it out.”

“You knew?” Victor demanded.

“Guessed….” Yuuri replied, curling against him again, the little spark of amusement dying as exhaustion washed over him again.  “Or maybe hoped after I caught you sniffing the air around me once…” Victor coloured at that. He knew that he had been doing it, despite his best efforts to hide his desire for both the scent and Yuuri, but he had thought that it had gone unnoticed.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t know for sure,” Yuuri pointed out quietly, sounding more asleep than anything right now, making no effort to pull away from Victor, although his grip tightened, betraying his emotions as he added. “And I didn’t want it to just be because of that…” Victor was hit by a crushing wave of relief at those words, and he shook his head, fighting the urge to just yank the other man closer, instead making sure that their eyes met as he replied fervently.

“It isn’t.” He had seen Yuuri smile before and had thought that over the last few weeks he had seen all the smiles that he had to offer as he gradually overcame his shyness. However, he had never seen the soft, wondering smile that crept across Yuuri’s face at his words, and he felt himself colouring, awed at the sight of it. “Yuuri….” This time he didn’t even try and fight the urge to pull Yuuri closer. “It’s never been about that and it never will,” he whispered into dark hair. He had been drawn to the scent, longed for it…but it had it been getting closer to Yuuri, watching how hard he worked to improve, to push through his doubts, to get to used to him that had led to this. He would never have set foot in the room if it hadn’t, no matter what the newly-acknowledged alpha in him might have wanted.

    Yuuri’s fingers were biting into his back now, but any thoughts Victor might have entertained about protesting or pulling away disappeared as he became aware of the soft noise coming from the man in his arms. It was lighter, softer than anything Victor had ever heard, and it took him a moment to realise what it was, eyes widening with shock. “You’re purring?” He couldn’t hide his disbelief. He’d heard about omegas purring before, but had never heard it himself because it was usually a private thing between mates…and he swallowed, remembering what Yuuri’s mother had said in the hallway. That he had only presented because he had found his mate.

_Mate. Mate. Mate._

    Now that he had thought about it, the word clamoured in his mind, the alpha in him stirring, not happy that he hadn’t already claimed what was his. _Mine. Mate._ Victor bit down hard on his bottom lip, tasting copper, but not caring as the clamour dimmed for a moment. He wished that it would disappear completely, he didn’t want to be like that, not even in his own thoughts, and he closed his eyes. He had been happy as a beta, at least then his thoughts had been his own. He knew that part of it was due to the sweeter than usual scent coming from Yuuri, his heat affecting both of them when they were this close, but it didn’t excuse it.

He would not be that kind of alpha.

   The soft noise had disappeared, and he frowned looking down to see Yuuri looking at him anxiously. It was an expression that he had seen several times before, usually when they were waiting for a competition to start, but this was different, more desperate. “Don’t leave,” Yuuri pleaded, voice cracking and Victor realised that some of his thoughts must have shown on his face. He’d never been good at concealing his emotions, it had always been easier to just let them show and he hadn’t had to worry about being the perfect alpha.

“I…” _I’m not,_ was what he wanted to say, the thought of leaving now that he was here almost more than he could bear. But a small part of him, the part that was terrified of what his alpha instincts might make him do, wondered if he should. This wasn’t the time to be dealing with this, not when Yuuri was in heat and Victor newly presented…

    Yuuri’s expression crumpled at his hesitation, a sour note entering his scent and Victor half expected to find himself being pushed away. Instead, he moved his grip to the front of Victor’s jumper, tugging him down to kiss him, and Victor melted into the kiss for a moment. It was everything and more than he had imagined, the sour scent disappearing as the sweetness soared to new heights around him, and he could quite happily have become lost in it. He wanted to. However, he could feel Yuuri’s hands beginning to roam and with far more difficulty and reluctance than he cared to admit he pulled back.

“Yuuri stop,” he said, grasping the roaming hands in a firm grip, squeezing them lightly when Yuuri whined a protest. “Please, wait…I don’t want to take advantage of your heat.” He knew too many people who had given in to the temptation, only for it to be later called that, and their friendships and relationships had never been the same afterwards. He refused to let that happen here, even if that meant he had to find the strength to be the mature one and back away.

“I’m not that far gone,” Yuuri snapped, sounding offended and Victor retreated slightly, loosening his grip on Yuuri’s hands as he quelled the urge to snap back that he knew didn’t come from him. It must have shown in his expression though, because Yuuri promptly subsided, tilting his head down as he muttered an apology. “Sorry, it’s been a long night…” Victor could tell, the covers and scattered pillows speaking of a restless night and he grimaced in sympathy.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Yuuri replied, sounding more like himself. “I’m sorry, I’m always like this the first day or so of a heat.”

“Is that normal?” Victor asked uncertainly, relieved that he hadn’t been the main cause of it, but feeling out of his depth once more. Yuuri must’ve noticed because he curled his fingers around Victor and smiled at him.

“More or less,” he replied. “Every omega is different, I get irritable especially at the start when the cramps are at their worst.” Victor’s eyes flickered lower, remembering how Yuuri had been grimacing when he arrived, the restless night making a lot more sense now and he found himself crooning again, wanting to help, and needing to help, but unsure of what would help.

“What do you want me to do?” He asked softly. “Yuuri…I’ve never been with anyone in heat, let alone as an alpha or with my…”

“Mate?” Yuuri finished for him with a wry twist of his lips, which grew into a proper smile, although slightly strained as added.  “Some of us paid attention in class.” Victor coloured at that, but couldn’t deny it…although in his defence there hadn’t seemed like much point back then. “The only way you could have presented so late was if you’d found your mate…” He looked down, the smile dimming and suddenly he looked like the shy, awkward Yuuri that Victor had met in the hot springs the day he had arrived, his scent souring at the edges. “I…”

    Suddenly, Victor knew what he was going to say, and he growled, yanking Yuuri back into a tight hug, although he was gentler and almost cautious as he nuzzled at the side of Yuuri’s neck. Scenting him. He knew exactly what doubts were running through Yuuri’s mind, they had talked about them before, and he waited until Yuuri had relaxed a little under his ministrations. “Don’t you dare apologise for this.” There was timbre to his voice that hadn’t been there before, but right now he didn’t care that his alpha side was flaring up, all he cared about was making Yuuri believe him. “Yuuri…I want you, just as you are.” Even with his hero worship, and childhood adulation towards him, Yuuri had treated him as no one else would. He poked fun at him, laughed with him and accepted his capricious nature, and given him a glimpse of what it was to have a home and family. And his voice was softer, more his own as he added quietly. “I’ve wanted you for a while now before any of this happened.” _And I will want you after this…_

     Yuuri was peering up at him, torn between hesitation and hope, searching his expression for any hint of a lie or regret. Victor held his gaze, making his expression as open as possible. “Really…?” Yuuri was relaxing, having apparently not found what he had feared, but there was still a waver in his voice that had Victor’s arms tightening.

“Really,” he replied, quiet and firm before his expression softened again at the pure, unadulterated relief in Yuuri’s eyes and the way he was starting to curl against him again. “So, let me ask again, Yuuri. What do you want me to do?” Yuuri blinked, hesitating for a moment, the doubts still not completely banished, but apparently, Victor’s words had been enough for now because when he finally replied, his voice was steady, resolute.

“Stay.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

    Victor had heard enough talk in the locker rooms, and around the rink to know how Yuuri’s request for him to stay would usually be interpreted, and he would be lying if he said a small and growing part of him didn’t want that. However, he smothered that urge as Yuuri leant into his embrace, the low purr beginning to build in his throat once more. Instead, he did allow himself to give in to the temptation to sniff his mate, finally able to lose himself in the tantalising smell. And he hadn’t even realised that he had started to scent Yuuri, nuzzling against him, until he heard a quiet laugh from the other man, and found Yuuri tilting his head to the side to make it a little easier.

    The gesture took his breath away, feeling a little too intimate although he didn’t understand why, and he was cautious, almost hesitant as he nuzzled there. Yuuri’s scent was stronger there, and with the brief sour note now wholly eradicated, it was overwhelming, and Victor gathered his courage, pressing a trail of kisses down the line of Yuuri’s throat, chasing the scent of him. It was tempting to nibble, the idea making him blush, even as he found it rapidly beginning to consume his thoughts and with a strangled noise he pulled away. Not sure what to make of the almost disappointed expression on Yuuri’s face, realising that he was really going to need to do some research before he made a mess of this.

“Yuuri….” He hadn’t quite worked out what he was going to say, but before he could continue, and perhaps say the wrong thing considering how closely Yuuri was watching him now, Yuuri groaned and doubled over. The movement pulled him out of Victor’s hold, his hands hovering uselessly over trembling shoulders for a moment before he took a deep breath. He might be out of his depth, but he could and would help with this at least, and he was gentle as he moved to wrap an arm around Yuuri. _Around his mate,_ a part of him corrected before it was hastily buried once more, as he guided Yuuri towards the rumpled bed. “Come on, let's try and make you more comfortable,” he murmured, voice instinctively dropping to an almost croon, feeling a wave of relief when Yuuri nodded and leaned into him with a sigh.

   Yuuri’s bed was even more of a mess up close, extra pillows and covers that had clearly been gathered for his heat scattered in all directions, and there were clothes tangled in the mess that Victor recognised as belonging to his family members.

“It’s not much of a nest,” Yuuri admitted sheepishly, following his gaze and Victor shook his head, not liking the note of shame – so similar to when Yuuri talked about his failure on the ice – that he could hear in the words.

“Next time, we can make a proper one…?”  He suggested. Yuuri jolted at his words, glancing at the bed before back at Yuuri before nodding.

“I would like that.”

     Something that Victor hadn’t even been aware of eased his chest at the quiet words, at the confirmation that he would be there for the next one. _My mate,_ he thought, and this time he didn’t hide from it, although he refused to let it become anything more as he settled Yuuri on the edge of the bed, pausing for a moment to lay his hand over Yuuri’s stomach. Wincing in sympathy as he felt the muscles tense a split second before Yuuri hissed in discomfort, letting his touch linger a little longer as Yuuri leant into it, before pulling back.

“What helps?” He asked as he began to tidy the bed and the scattered materials, highly aware of Yuuri watching his every move.

“Warmth, hot water bottles, ginger tea and sleep. Although it's hard to achieve the last one,” Yuuri admitted with a grimace as he smothered a yawn, beginning to droop now that he was sat on the bed, his attention wandering a little even though he wanted nothing more than to watch Victor work. Still, not entirely sure that this wasn’t a figment of his heat-addled mind, or that Victor wouldn’t change his mind once he was back to normal. He was tired and sore, his entire body aching, even as his stomach cramped again.

    It was only when he realised that Victor hadn’t replied, that he drew his attention back to the other man, immediately feeling himself turn bright red as he realised that Victor had found the shirt that he had pilfered from the laundry basket a couple of days ago. He’d been unable to resist, wanting or rather needing Victor’s scent in his rough nest, even if nothing happened, and he glanced down, not sure what to make of the expression that he had glimpsed on the other’s face. “I was wondering where this had gone,” Victor murmured finally, before tucking it back into the much neater nest, and Yuuri glanced up, hearing the smile in his words, startled to find bright blue eyes looking right at him. “I wouldn’t have minded if you’d taken more.” It was a reassurance and a promise, and Yuuri wrinkled his nose, not wanting to admit how much he liked the idea of being able to rifle through and find the best smelling items.

      The Victor was beside him again, gently and eagerly encouraging him to curl back up in the centre of the nest, and tucking him in so carefully and firmly that Yuuri doubted he would be able to escape, before holding up the hot water bottles that had long since gone cold. “I’ll see about getting these filled up again, and maybe some tea, and then you should rest.” The noise of protest, startled Yuuri almost as much it did Victor even though he was the one to make it, and there was a brief pause before Victor realised what was wrong, hastily shaking his head. “I’m still going to stay, I promise! But you said those things helped, and I…” _I don’t know what else to do…_

“Oh,” Yuuri muttered, feeling sheepish, especially as he could practically hear the unspoken words. It would be easy enough to blame the reaction on his heat alone, but he knew that it was more than that, some part of him still waiting for Victor to leave – remembering the doubt, and fear that had gripped him during the competition with Yuri. “I’d like that then…” Victor nodded, looking at him searchingly for a moment before heading for the door.

“I won’t be long.”

     The urge to protest was still there, but Yuuri stifled it, knowing that it wasn’t going to help either of them. Still, he could have wept with relief when Victor opened the door to find Yuuri’s mother on the other side with a laden tray, and a warm smile for Victor, and Yuuri when she peered into the room, nodding at finding him in bed. There was a brief whispered conversation that Yuuri couldn’t hear and didn’t try to follow, the warmth from being tucked in, and the reassuring smells of Victor and his mother mingling in the air, and his exhaustion lulling him towards sleep. He managed to nod, or at least he thought he did when his mother promised to check on them later, wondering if he had imagined the hint of warning in her gaze as she looked at Victor before handing him the tray and leaving them in peace.

“Yuuri?” Victor murmured as he moved back towards the bed, and Yuuri must’ve dozed off between one second and the next, as he found himself sluggishly opening his eyes to peer up at him. “Don’t sleep just yet, okay?”

“Hmmm,” Yuuri hummed non-committedly.        

“Here, drink this,” Victor apparently wasn’t taking no for an answer, and the smell of ginger roused him enough to push himself upright, albeit grumbling as he did so. Still, he managed a smile as he took the steaming mug of ginger tea, sniffing at it, detecting the mix of spices that his mother always used and taking a cautious sip, blinking as he realised that Victor hadn’t let go of it yet. “Do you have it?”

“Yeah.”

     Victor released the mug, and Yuuri watched as he set a couple of bottle of water on the table, before lifting up fresh hot water bottles, juggling them between his hands as he realised how hot they were, and Yuuri barely smothered a laugh. Knowing that he’d been caught when blue eyes darted towards him, a slender eyebrow rising for a moment before Victor was laughing too, although he was more careful as he slipped the hot water bottles under the cover. Taking almost excessive care in making sure they didn’t brush upright against Yuuri, wrapping the last in his stolen shirt, before handing it to Yuuri who immediately laid it against his stomach with a sigh of relief, before finishing the rest of his tea.

    Feeling a little more settled, and more than ready to sleep, he reached out and set the cup on the bedside table, before glancing across at Victor who was hovering awkwardly beside his bed. His expression torn between longing, and worry, reminding Yuuri just how new this was for him, and he smiled before patting the edge of the bed as he shuffled across to make room. “Victor…” Even with that clear invitation, Victor asked.

“May I?”

“Please…” That was way more pleading than he’d intended, but it seemed to do the job as Victor hesitated for a moment later before toeing off his shoes and padding closer. To make sure that he didn’t hesitate again, Yuuri lifted the covers, having to fight for a moment as they were so firmly tucked in, rolling onto his side, and holding the water bottle in place. Thankfully, Victor took the hint, sliding into the bed with him, and fussing with the covers for a minute, making sure they were both covered, before slowly, cautiously, laying an arm over Yuuri in a loose hug. Leaving him a way out if he wanted it.

He didn’t.

    With the promise of sleep looming, his stomach settling after the tea, and with the warmth of the hot water bottle and Victor, he just wanted to curl up and rest. More importantly, he wanted, with an almost physical ache to curl up with his mate. He was unaware of the noise, halfway between a purr and keen rising in the back of his throat, as he shuffled forward, closing the distance between them until he was pressed against Victor with only the hot water bottle between them. Victor welcomed him, the loose arm, become a proper hug now, and Yuuri sighed, almost content as he curled into the taller man.

    Like Victor earlier, he found himself scenting the other man as his nose pressed into the alpha’s neck, drinking in his scent, and closing his eyes as he started to relax. Sleep came quickly with Victor curled around him, and he was drifting, buoyed by the warmth and smell wrapping around him, and just before he drifted off, unaware of the way Victor’s eyes widened in response he murmured.

“I’m glad you’re here…”


End file.
